Real estate agents euphemistically call them “psychologically impacted” or “stigmatized” homes. To you and I, this means a property that is rumoured to be haunted, or a place where something traumatic has happened, such as a murder, suicide, or violent crime. Events of this type leave a deep imprint that is not easily remedied, and a death of any kind in a property – even a peaceful one – can make many buyers reluctant to purchase.
My researches have yielded only two US states (Alaska and South Dakota) that currently require real estate agents to disclose to prospective buyers if there have been any homicides or suicides in it in the previous 12 months. In California, the period is 3 years, and this is only required for murders. In Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Oklahoma, disclosure is required if the buyer directly asks for information. I haven’t been able to find details of requirements in other countries, and would be very interested to hear from anyone who has information about this.
If knowledge of whatever took place is widespread among residents of the surrounding area, then the stigma will remain for as long as it is remembered, and this could be years in some cases, and decades or even centuries in others.
Many of the space clearers I have trained are also experienced entity clearers, and they would be able to go into such a home and clear all energetic traces of past events. This could help to mitigate any concerns of prospective buyers, but the new owner(s) would still have to be strong-minded enough to contend with any lingering local gossip or be prepared to publicize the clearing so extensively and credibly that it would change public opinion about the place. This has been found to be generally easier to do in a town location than a rural community.
To be frank, the best solution when there has been a serious atrocity is to raze the building to the ground, as was done with the house of renowned serial rapists and murderers, Fred and Rosemary West, who buried their victims in the garden and cellar of their home in Gloucester, England. After they were convicted, their house and adjoining property were demolished, and every scrap of building material was ground to dust or burned, partly to remove every trace of it physically and energetically, and partly to thwart any ghoulish souvenir hunters. The former site is now an unremarkable-looking and unremarkable-feeling landscaped footpath between two roads, where nature and the passage of time are working their healing wonders.
Copyright © Clear Space Living Ltd, 2013
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In Japan, it seems that real estate agents are required to disclose to prospective buyers or lessees if there have been any homicides or suicides but the period of this obligation relies on legal precedent. There is a legal precedent that says it is required to disclose to only the next residents and a lot of real estate agents in Japan seems to be based on this.
It is very interesting I didn’t know that until I read your blog and researched for it. Thank you for your post.